1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for elevating houses, buildings, and other large structures. More particularly, this invention relates to a modular support and lifting system which includes a plurality of support elements, building elements, lifting elements, and accessories which may be combined and installed to raise or lower a structure from one elevation to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the past half century, areas of land near bodies of water have become increasingly populated with houses and other developments. Recently, however, flooding in many low-lying areas of the country has caused tremendous property damage. This has prompted serious attention from the government and the media to seek solutions to the problem.
One such solution comprises elevating houses, buildings, and other structures located near rivers, deltas, lakes, and coastal areas. Under this solution, the existing houses, etc., are detached from their foundations and elevated to a height above flood levels. New supporting structure is then built underneath the elevated house to maintain the house at the new height. This technique raises the living areas of the house sufficiently so that the portions of the house containing the most valuable furnishings and the like remain dry and undamaged during flood conditions. This greatly minimizes any property damage and associated losses due to flooding.
If the houses or other structures are constructed of wood, then raising the house off the ground and adding supporting pylons, walls, or other additional supporting structure underneath the house is fairly routine because wood houses are relatively light, and are usually already elevated somewhat above the ground. However, a large number of houses in flood-prone areas are constructed of masonry, concrete blocks, or the like, and/or are built upon concrete slabs in what is commonly known as slab-on-grade construction. To raise one of these houses is much more involved, and requires considerable experience and expertise.
The conventional method for raising a house having a concrete slab foundation is to excavate the soil from underneath the house and then jack up the house from the excavated space. However, excavation is not always desirable since it is expensive and can destroy landscaping. Also, excavation is not always possible, as in the case of the ground-water table being too high, the ground being too rocky, or otherwise not enabling of excavation.
To avoid the requirement of excavation, it is known in the art to install a plurality of steel beams in the structure of the house by passing the beams through the walls of the house above the slab, extending the beams through the interior of the house and out the other side. The walls and floor of the house are attached to the beams using fasteners, or the like. Jacks are then attached to the ends of the beams on the outside of the house, and the beams and house are jacked-up to a desired height. However, the beams used in the prior system are massive, and this system accordingly requires the use of heavy construction equipment for installing the beams in the house and for removing the beams from the house. Also, there is no provision for minimizing damage to the exterior walls of the house. Furthermore, preconstructed jacking towers are required if the house must be raised a significant height, and these jacking towers also require heavy equipment for transport and installation.
Accordingly, it will be apparent that a need exists for a more efficient and convenient method and apparatus to create a system for elevating a house or other structure. Under such a system, the apparatus should be able to lift a house having a concrete-slab foundation without the necessity of significant excavation. The method of the system should also enable the apparatus to be installed and removed without requiring the use of any heavy machinery, such a cranes or forklifts. In other words, all parts of the system should be able to be transported, installed, and removed by one or two people by hand. Finally, the system should be adaptable, versatile, and modular so that it may be used for a variety of different structures, floor plans, and the like, without having to design and build job-specific equipment. The method and apparatus of the present invention set forth such a system and provide a significant advance in the art.
In the preferred form of the system of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for elevating a house, building, other structure, or the like. The apparatus of the system includes a plurality of releasably connectable beam elements or panels. The beam elements include a space-frame structure and include mateable ends whereby a first beam element may be connected to a second beam element in an endwise fashion for forming a longer unitary consolidated beam. Thus, any number of beam elements may be connected to one-another for forming a consolidated beam of any desired length. The beam elements are provided in several different lengths, and are light enough so that one or two individuals may lift and carry the beam elements for installation in a structure.
Under the method of the invention, a plurality of beam elements are connected to each other within the structure to be elevated for forming a plurality of consolidated beams. The consolidated beams are connected to the floor of the structure in a number of locations by fasteners. The fasteners may comprise expansion nuts which are inserted into holes formed in the floor of the structure. The expansion nuts are connected to the consolidated beams by threaded drop rods, nuts, and washers. By this method, each consolidated beam is connected to the floor of the structure in a plurality of locations. A plurality of consolidated jacking beams are also constructed, typically on the exterior of the structure, and are connected to the consolidated beams inside the structure. Lifting devices are installed under the jacking beams, and used to elevate the jacking beams, thereby elevating the structure.
The system may further include structural connecting members known as a drop beam and a drop post to enable use of the system without the necessity of significantly damaging the exterior walls of the house. The drop post is an elongate structural member connectable to the end of a beam element on one end, and connectable to the drop beam on the other end. Either before or after a consolidated beam is constructed by assembling a plurality of beam elements within a structure to be lifted, a hole may be formed in the floor of the house at each end of the consolidated beam near the exterior wall of the house. An adjacent cut out is formed in the exterior wall of the structure below floor level, the area under the floor is excavated, and the drop post is placed through the hole in floor. The drop post is connected to the end of the consolidated beam and extends down under the floor, near the periphery of the foundation. The drop beam is inserted through the cut out from the outside of the house, under the floor, and is connected to the drop post so that a portion of the drop beam extends out from under the edge of the house. A lifting device, such as the vertical support and jacking system of the invention is then connected to the drop beam outside the structure by connecting the drop beam to a consolidated jacking beam.
The invention is further directed to unique vertical support and jacking structures which are constructed from a plurality of small, generally similar block-like building elements or xe2x80x9ccribsxe2x80x9d. The building elements may be bolted to each other to form posts. The building elements have a generally U-shaped appearance when viewed from top or bottom, i.e., the building elements are open or slotted on one side so that a hydraulic jack or cylinder or other equipment may be inserted into the interior of the building elements, or into a post formed from a stack of connected building elements. The hydraulic cylinders may be used within the posts to lift a load to a higher elevation. The load is progressively lifted by extending the jacks to lift the load, installing additional building elements into the spaces between the load and the tops of the posts, and then moving the jacks further up the posts so that the load may be lifted further by again extending the jacks. With each individual building element weighing less than 40 pounds, the system of the present invention makes it easy to lift a load and build up a variety of support structures without the use of heavy lifting equipment.